Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind | Chapter 3: Yamarāja Instructs His Messengers |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.3.31
tasmāt sańkīrtanaḿ viṣṇor
jagan-mańgalam aḿhasām
mahatām api kauravya
viddhy aikāntika-niṣkṛtam
SYNONYMS
tasmāt — therefore; sańkīrtanam — the congregational chanting of the holy name; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; jagat-mańgalam — the most auspicious performance within this material world; aḿhasām — for sinful activities; mahatām api — even though very great; kauravya — O descendant of the Kuru family; viddhi — understand; aikāntika — the ultimate; niṣkṛtam — atonement.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sańkīrtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.
PURPORT
We should note that although Ajāmila chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa imperfectly, he was delivered from all sinful reactions. The chanting of the holy name is so auspicious that it can free everyone from the reactions of sinful activities. One should not conclude that one may continue to sin with the intention of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa to neutralize the reactions. Rather, one should be very careful to be free from all sins and never think of counteracting sinful activities by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, for this is another offense. If by chance a devotee accidentally performs some sinful activity, the Lord will excuse him, but one should not intentionally perform sinful acts.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness